Keep your cholesterol good

TRANS monounsaturated fatty acids, resulted from the hydrogenation of vegetable oils to produce margarine, but that are also found in dairy products, increase the LDL levels, like sturated fatty acids. In addition determine a slight decrease in HDL (“good” cholesterol). When it’s consumed a diet rich in carbonhydrates the human body can synthesize fatty acids, especially monounsaturated oleic acid, CIS form, which does not increase cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-6, whose representative is linoleic acid, which is predominant in sunflower oil, even if lowers the LDL (although not always) also decrease the HDL. Recent data show that linoleic acid favors LDL oxidation, inhibiting the anticancer cell immunity. Margarine contains large amounts of TRANS linoleic acid.

Finally, polyunsaturated fatty acids with 3 double bonds, omega-3 (for example, linoleic acid from sunflower oil or eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid in fish oil) lowers the VLDL, but not the LDL, which is the main component of blood cholesterol.

A study conducted for 12 years, on 12,000 men from 7 countries has shown that, in Finland, occurred 14 times more myocardial infarctions than in Japan – finnish men had a average cholesterol of 264 mg / 100 ml, while the japanese of only 140 mg / 100 ml. Emigrating to the United States, the average cholesterol of japanese increase from 140-150 mg / dl to 228, and myocardial infarction rate increases 10 times.

In opposition to what was previously thought not long ago, the cholesterol is synthesized in the nucleus of every cell of the body, not only in the liver and intestinal mucosa. The human body produces 3-4 times more cholesterol than the amount that is ingested usually with food. If it is so, then why should we be afraid of cholesterol in the cheese, roast pork, fried eggs or butter cholesterol, whipped cream cake, chocolate bar and many others?

First, to remember that the body does not need any cholesterol milligram from alimentation, because it produces itself the necessary quantities. In familial hypercholesterolemia, due to a genetic defect, the cholesterol production is excessive since childhood, so the LDL particles, stored in vessels, lead to early atherosclerosis. In Germany, every 500th inhabitant suffers from familial hypercholesterolemia.

But in normal people in this respect, any cholesterol intake means an additional unnecessary plus, which the body must fight to eliminate it. And this addition can sometimes be a lot, if we think that 100 g of brain contains 2500-3000 mg cholesterol.

But there’s an even more important reason. The cholesterol produced in our body is NOT oxidized, as is the one in food of animal origin. It is known that arterial injuries are caused by the cholesterol oxidation products. Since 60 years ago it was noticed already that not all cholesterol is as atherogenic. Hens fed with cholesterol developed a high cholesterol and atherosclerotic injuries, while hens whose cholesterol was increased at the same values, but by the administration of hormones, did not show arterial injuries.